The read option isn't going to be "figured out" any more than the West Coast Offense was. It's not a gimmick or a trick offense. It's a way to exploit a numbers mismatch based on personnel groupings. Those things can be adjusted to with different schemes, but defenses will always sacrifice one thing to help another in that case.

The read option is exactly a gimmick offense. You run it once in a while to take advantage of your opponents misplaying it.

But you are right, it isn't going to be figured out. It already has been. Coaches just need time to train their players; they're not going to beat in how to defend the read option in the middle of a season. This offseason, however, they will and the success rate will drop dramatically.

The problem with the teams running it most prevalently is that they are incredibly talented. Any offense that has them running the ball is going to be successful. RG when he was healthy was unstoppable running the ball. The niners OLine and overall offensive talent is unstoppable. The Seahawks got amazing play from Wilson and Lynch.

Stick a linebacker on the QB and tell him to WAX him every read option play. That pretty much solves it. You saw it happen to very good success in the playoffs. Watch the niners patriots game. Yup, the Pats got waxed. But they also eliminated the option and turned it into simple handoffs. The option was useless on that day, but again; the niners have superior offensive talent and still put up 41. You saw the option shred the Packers; but watch the tape, it's because the Packers defenders played it COMPLETELY wrong and were simply outclassed. That front seven on the Packers was NOT EVEN CLOSE to the level of talent of the 49ers Oline and running game. The option just happened to be the vessel of that beating, it wasn't the cause.

Anyway. Back to Rodgers. The deal hasn't been announced and isn't complete. And the headline is deceiving; it is reported they are working on a 4 year 100 mil extension, with that 100 mil being rolled into the current contract as well. Ie.. not a 4 year, $25 mil a year contract, realistically closer to an all new, 6 year $120 mil contract.

This read option is going to be figured out. Of the 8 teams that remained in the divisional round, only 2 teams were Read Option Offenses. And of those 2 teams, San Fransisco and Seattle, both Wilson and Kap displayed they can sit back and pick you apart and make reads. When the NFL does figure it out, they will be fine.

With Rodgers: The Packers will consistently be a playoff/super bowl contender. Ted Thompson does an excellent drafting and building throughout the draft. Rodgers is the best QB in the NFL. He elevates the play of his WRs and just picks apart defenses.

You have to build through the draft to win in the NFL. Truly elite players do NOT make it to free agency. Don't start naming off all of the exceptions. They're few and far between.

You have to build through the draft to win in the NFL. Truly elite players do NOT make it to free agency. Don't start naming off all of the exceptions. They're few and far between.

That has apparently changed. With the cap being almost totally flat, teams are being forced to get rid of some very talented players to meet their cap limits especially teams that have recently had to renew their QB's salary.
I've never seen a solid LT reach FA every since the cap came into being, they have always been resigned with no exceptions unless injured. This year, a number of starting LT's have reached FA and switched teams, so the cap limits are forcing a change in a team's ability to retain all their stars.

The two sides are $2M/year apart on a deal that's definitely going to make Rodgers the highest paid player in the history of the NFL. They're currently offering $21M/year, and he's asking for $23M/year.

Stick a linebacker on the QB and tell him to WAX him every read option play. That pretty much solves it. You saw it happen to very good success in the playoffs. Watch the niners patriots game. Yup, the Pats got waxed. But they also eliminated the option and turned it into simple handoffs. The option was useless on that day, but again; the niners have superior offensive talent and still put up 41. You saw the option shred the Packers; but watch the tape, it's because the Packers defenders played it COMPLETELY wrong and were simply outclassed. That front seven on the Packers was NOT EVEN CLOSE to the level of talent of the 49ers Oline and running game. The option just happened to be the vessel of that beating, it wasn't the cause.

I don't disagree with your statement regarding the talent of the teams running the read option - they would be successful running anything.

However, I don't think your solution is as cut and dry as you make it seem. First - rarely do you see a quarterback who is staring down a read key allow himself to get obliterated. It's the cliche thing to say all the way back in high school, to college, and now the pros. But rarely do you see it happen that way.

Second - the post you were responding to said it was a numbers game. Even your explanation proved his point. If you send a linebacker to a quarterback every play, and turn it into, as you said, "a simple handoff" - you've blocked a second level defender with a quarterback. The offense has won the numbers game there.

Traditionally an offense is 9 on 11. The quarterback and the ball carrier don't count, but the 11 hats on defense do. I'll take the simple handoff on a read play as opposed to a simple handoff out of one back under center as far as numbers go.

Rodgers is pushing for $25 mil/year.
Matthews might be about to get $15.

Since entering the NFL in 2009, Clay Matthews is the only linebacker with 40 sacks, 20 stuffs and 20 passes defensed. He was the top-ranked 3-4 outside linebacker in the league last season in ProFootballFocus.com's ratings.